The Aerial Fire Depot, operating under the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, is dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the nation’s aerial wildfire response capabilities. Its core mission centers on securing critical infrastructure, logistics, and aviation support services to enable rapid, coordinated fire suppression operations across federal lands.
Aerial Fire Depot is a government agency with procurement activity across contracts, awards, and contractors. Over the last 12 months, Aerial Fire Depot has obligated $2,812,782, issued 3 awards, and worked with 3 contractors. Procurement is concentrated in Commercial and Institutional Building Construction and Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors.
Spending trends, top contractors, industry breakdown, and recent contract activity.
AI Mission Profile
The Aerial Fire Depot, operating under the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, is dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the nation’s aerial wildfire response capabilities. Its core mission centers on securing critical infrastructure, logistics, and aviation support services to enabl...
The Aerial Fire Depot, operating under the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, is dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the nation’s aerial wildfire response capabilities. Its core mission centers on securing critical infrastructure, logistics, and aviation support services to enable rapid, coordinated fire suppression operations across federal lands. Strategic priorities include modernizing fire cache facilities, maintaining airborne firefighting systems, and ensuring reliable access to charter air transportation for personnel and equipment. The agency prioritizes resilience in remote locations, investing in secure communication networks, facility upgrades, and long-term lease arrangements to support year-round operational readiness.
Procurement patterns reveal a strong emphasis on construction and facility management, particularly for fire cache and depot infrastructure, alongside specialized air transportation and support services. The agency frequently utilizes solicitation and presolicitation processes for both new construction and lease extensions, indicating a focus on long-term asset sustainability. Contract structures lean toward multi-year agreements and MATOCs (Multiple Award Task Order Contracts) to ensure scalable, responsive support during peak fire seasons.
Industry preferences are clearly aligned with electrical and building contractors for facility upgrades, non-scheduled air charter providers for tactical mobility, and air transportation support firms for maintenance of airborne systems. A pronounced preference for SBA set-asides—evidenced in six of nine recent opportunities—demonstrates a commitment to empowering small businesses, including those owned by veterans, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Vendor relationships are built on proven technical capability in fire-adapted infrastructure and aviation logistics.
Organized as a specialized unit within the Forest Service, the Aerial Fire Depot operates without a fixed physical headquarters but maintains critical assets across wildfire-prone regions, particularly in the western United States. It relies on federal procurement vehicles including indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts and task order solicitations to efficiently mobilize resources during dynamic operational demands.
Procurement Analytics
Where Aerial Fire Depot directs its contract spending, by industry and small-business set-aside program.
